Secret Agent Nguyen: Central Park's Secrets
by thatonenitpickyartist
Summary: Liên Thi Nguyen has been a member of the CIA since she was 8 years old. As a young child, Liên learned self-defense (karate and kendo), how to handle various guns, and many branches of science. Her main goal was to capture the head of the Chinese mafia. Now an undercover student in New York, Liên has to watch over someone, yet there's something unusual about the student.
1. Chapter 1

_**CIA Tip #1: Don't just assume, go and actually do some research.**_

His fingers tapped steadily while looking at my passport, as if searching for any suspicions in the thin navy blue book. He picked up a gray stamp and flipped over to an empty page with an opaque picture of the Vietnamese president. A click sound followed after the press of the stamp. He handed it back to me, a bright red stamp on the pale blue page.

"Here you go miss. Thank you and have a good night," he said. The tone in his voice was neither warming nor cold.

"Thank you," I answered, putting my passport back into my maroon-colored messenger bag.

I entered into the vast baggage claim area. The area was empty except for one or two families waiting there, their voices chattering quietly in Vietnamese. I recognized the families immediately; they were from my flight. A harsh loud beep interrupted the soft chatter among the families. Time to go pick up my luggage.

"So how was the flight Liên?" Agent Alfred Jones asked. I was staying at Alfred's house during my cover as the student Tong Xie (謝彤), along with his younger sister Amelia.

"Ah, it wasn't too bad. The food was okay, I mean at least you can stomach it. No babies on board, so I slept quite well on the airplane. By the way, thanks for picking me up," I said.

"No problem! Where do you want to go eat?" Alfred asked, his turquoise eyes twinkling in the night. It was seven thirty, which passed my dinner time. Although I ate before landing, I could have a simple meal.

I took out my tour guide, which I bought from a bookstore in Saigon. "Let me see, restaurants and cafes…" My finger traced down the_ Table of Contents_ page, but it was hard to see because it was dark. Pale yellow lights kept on coming and going, which didn't help much either.

Alfred laughed at me. "Hey! Don't you remember? I've been to New York so many times I know everything about it from Grand Central Park to the best dry cleaners! Do you want to eat McDonalds? Pho? Italian food?"

"I don't really care. I think I'll have Italian food." I read in tour guide that New York has a lot of Italians. Might as well try some authentic Italian food.

"Alright! Italian food it is!" Alfred exclaimed. "By the way, can you call Amelia? Tell her we're eating at Scalini Fedeli." He fished out his phone from the back of his pocket.

While handing me his phone, a yellow light flashed into my eyes. The light was coming from a blue Chevy. The Chevy began to switch lanes, even though it was close to us. Weird.

However, my weird thoughts melted away as soon as the blue Chevy steered towards our car, and proceeded to crash into us.

"Alfred look out!" I screamed. He steered to the right, the car missing us by an inch.

"The heck was that for?" Alfred swore at the car, which already disappeared by the time we recovered.

"I don't know. Maybe it was a drunk driver or something," I said. Calm down Liên Thi Nguyen, it's just a crazy driver.


	2. Chapter 2

_**CIA Tip #2: When meeting with someone, choose a lively place so that you won't look suspicious while talking about serious matters.**  
_

We entered a lively restaurant, the yellow lights slightly dimmed. A waft of garlic and tomatoes filled my nostrils, arousing my half-filled stomach with my previous meal of noodles and crackers from the flight. I looked around, searching for Amelia.

A lady with short creamy yellow hair waved at us. She wore a bright white knitted sweater completed with a lilac scarf. I recognized her immediately as Amelia through the turquoise blue eyes enlarged with black hipster glasses.

"Hey Alfred! Hi Liên!" Amelia waved energetically at us.

"How was the flight Liên?" Amelia asked. Her thin lips curled into a smile.

"Not too bad. I slept well since there weren't any babies on board," I answered, while putting my messenger bag on the back of my chair.

A waiter passed by us, wearing a white collar shirt, black pants, and a black vest. A black bowtie completed the outfit. "Hello, I'm Julian. I will be at your service today. Anything to drink?" He spoke English with a slight Spanish accent.

"Water would be fine for me," I answered. Although I bought 950 USD with me, I have a habit of monitoring what I spent.

"Water for both of us too please," Amelia chimed in brightly. Julian excused himself with a slight bow.

"Hmm...what should we order?" Alfred was flipping through the menu. I'll have a butternut agnolotti with a sage brown butter. Oh also, two chocolate soufflés and a chocolate tart for dessert. I know Amelia wants to try the spaghetti arranbiata." Amelia nodded eagerly while sipping the water. "You, Lien?"

"I'll take the capellini with crab." I hope the meal wasn't too heavy. I didn't want to sleep tonight with a full stomach.

Julian returned, carrying a brown tray with three glasses of water. Each glass had a thinly sliced lemon floating among the ice. "Here you go. Are you ready to order?" He took out a worn notepad and a pen from his chest pocket.

Alfred picked up the large menu with the restaurant's name written in fancy script and quoted our orders.

Julian placed his notebook back into his chest pocket and collected our menus. "Alright, your order will be here in no time. I'll be right back with the bread and the olive oil." We thanked Julian for his wonderful service towards us and resumed to our conversation.

Amelia turned to me. "Are you ready to become a student?" Amelia's eyes sparkled as soon as she turned to me. "This should be an easy task for you. You've been to, aircraft stations in England, haunted villages in Kenya, underground drug factories in Thailand, and even brothels in the Philippines! Becoming a student is nothing compared to what you have done in the past before!"

"Well yes, but that's still a difficult task. I need to make sure that no one finds out about my true identity," I replied. "Anyway, what are you guys doing right now?" I decided to see if I could help out before school started next week.

"We're currently trying to track down Leon. Leon's going to visit America in a week or so. He's helping his friend open a new casino with his buddy Enrico in Las Vegas. They're coming here in about a week or so," Alfred explained.

"He's the drug dealer of ketamine, meth, and cocaine, remember? And the leader of the triad named Fo Long. But it's going to be difficult with his two body guards, David (方德政; Fong Dut-Jing) and Wilfred (言為信; Yin Wai-Sun). They never let Leon out of their sight," Amelia added.

"Ah, Leon, I remember. And his buddy Enrico. Enrico's from Macau. He operates all the casinos in Macau."

We continued chatting in hushed whispers about Leon and Enrico until our dinner came. Like I hoped, my capellini with crab wasn't too heavy with butter and oil. The cappuccino soufflé, on the other hand was sweeter than bitter, generously sprinkled with powdered sugar.

After my first meal in New York, we drove back home, discussing about our plans on our next jobs. We offered advice towards one another and exchanged information about each of our targets.


	3. Chapter 3

**_CIA Tip #3:__ Always keep a journal on every mission. Draw diagrams or pictures as needed. These are some of the requirements for the file report._**

School starts today.

I sat alone in the back of the classroom for zero period. Even though first period hasn't started yet, I sat in Mrs. Johnson's class for AP Environmental Science.

Since class hasn't started yet, I took out my trusty pastel yellow notebook and a black gel pen, scribbling choppy details about my current surroundings on the sepia lines. On every mission, it was crucial to keep a journal about your daily work. Your daily work was part of the file report.

The bell rang after I filled half a page in my notebook. Students dressed in free attire: jeans, t-shirts, sweaters, cropped tops, boots, sleeveless hoodies, and sandals. American schools are so different from the ones in Vietnam. We had to wear uniforms in Vietnam, but here they are wearing whatever they desire.

While the students settled down, an approximately thirty-year old lady carrying a bundle of papers entered in. She wore round thick-rimmed glasses and a black skirt, completed with a blue collar shirt. Her creamy brown hair was tied up into a sleek bun.

She beamed brightly when her eyes caught me. "Good morning class! Today we have a student from a different country who's joining us for a couple of months and her name is Lien Thee...Nu-yen? Ng-yen? Nu-wen?" Her failed attempt to pronounce my surname made me want to slide in my seat and die.

"It's pronounced like the English word _win_," I replied quietly.

"Oh I'm sorry! Anyway, this is Liên Thee Nguyen! I'm Mrs. Johnson, your AP Environmental Science teacher. Can you introduce yourself Liên Thee?" Mrs. Johnson asked. Crap, all this attention is turning to me.

"Hello everyone. I'm Liên Thi Nguyen, a foreign exchange student from Saigon, Vietnam. You may just call me Liên."

A boy with white blonde hair and blue eyes raised his hand. "Your English is pretty good."

"Thanks." I knew the tone in my voice wasn't grateful. Since preschool, I learned English. My next door neighbor spoke Chinese, so my ba had me learn Chinese from her. My cousins grew up in Westminster, California, so whenever I visited them, I spoke English with them. My housekeeper often spoke French to me. As of now, my French is a little rusty, but I know enough to survive in France.

"Alright, let's start class today!" Mrs. Johnson propped up a large green textbook with a picture of lush green forests on the cover. Neon-colored sticky notes were stuck in between the pages.

I took out another notebook and began to jot down notes from the PowerPoint. Hmm, this class isn't as hard as I thought. I learned that when I was eight, which was part of my CIA training. I needed to learn that so that my file report would be thorough and clear.

After for what seemed like fifteen minutes, the bell rang. Students quickly stuffed their notebooks into their backpacks, eager to get out of class.


	4. Chapter 4

**_CIA Tip #4: Act as if you have nothing to hide, act as if nothing is wrong. That's the best way to adapt to your current environment._**

After school, I decided to go get a cup of _Lee's _coffee to help me as I do my homework and do more thorough research for my current target, Mei Wang, along with the Chinese mafia. I typed in 'Vietnamese coffee shops in New York." A couple of results appeared. Nam café, Paris Sandwich, An Choi...I'll go with An Choi. Even if it's slightly far away, I can still travel around; Alfred gave me a Metro card as soon as I landed.

My plans were interrupted by a girl about the same height as me. She tapped my shoulder, greeting me with an unknown phrase. "___Szia _Liên_!"_ The girl had sandy brown hair and cool green eyes. An orange flower was clipped to her right side.

"I'm sorry?" My attention shifted from the coffee shops to the girl. The girl gave me a sheepish smile at my confusion.

"Ah, sorry. Earlier, I said 'hello' in Hungarian," she answered. "My name's Elizaveta Héderváry."

"Hello, I'm...wait, I don't need to introduce myself. You just said my name earlier. How do you know my name?" I asked. I was quite shocked by how quickly news spread. I just hope I don't get noticed.

"The news of a foreign exchange student spread like wildfire! Usually, when someone comes from a different country, we're always excited! In fact, we all fight over for attention from the new student!" Elizaveta beamed with joy while she spoke. Oh my gosh, no. I don't want to get noticed. Even being in a karaoke bar in Hong Kong is better than being here.

"Elizaveta! Where were you?" A girl with a large pink plum blossom sat was on her head, with a curl touching her forehead. She had round chocolate eyes and wavy chestnut hair.

"Oh, just talking to the new student." Elizaveta pointed at me. I waved shyly at the girl.

Wait! Chestnut hair? Round chocolate hair? Pink plum blossom? No doubt this is Mei Wang! Yes, this is splendid! I've met my current target today.

"New student? Oh my gosh, Xin chào!" 'Mei' bowed slightly at me, which I did so in return.

"Hello, I'm Liên, as most of you already know." I held out my hand to shake with Elizaveta and Mei Wang.

After brief greetings, Elizaveta asked, "Hey, Liên. Would you like to come with us to Starbucks? Then we can go to Forever 21 and shop!"

"Err...umm..." The thought of going to Forever 21 sickened me a little. However, I knew I could refuse no offer to get closer to my target.

"Why not?"


	5. Chapter 5

**_CIA Tip #5: Act as if you have nothing to hide, act as if nothing is wrong. That's the best way to adapt to your current environment._**

It was Friday. I made it through the whole week without acquainting with anyone except other Vietnamese and Chinese students. Still, I was disappointed that I couldn't acquaint with Mei Wang. I'm not good at making friends.

After school, I decided to go get a cup of Lee's coffee to help me as I did my homework and do more thorough research for my current target, Mei Wang, along with the Chinese mafia. I typed in 'Vietnamese coffee shops in New York." A couple of results appeared. Nam café, Paris Sandwich, An Choi...I'll go with An Choi. Even if it's slightly far away, I can still travel around; Boss Indo gave me a Metro card.

My plans were interrupted by a girl about the same height as me. She tapped my shoulder, greeting me with an unknown phrase. "Szia Xie!" The girl had sandy brown hair and cool green eyes. An orange flower was clipped to her right side.

"I'm sorry?" My attention shifted from the coffee shops to the girl. The girl gave me a sheepish smile at my confusion.

"Ah, sorry. Earlier, I said 'hello' in Hungarian," she answered. "My name's Elizaveta Héderváry."

"Hello, I'm...wait, I don't need to introduce myself. You just said my name earlier. How do you know my name?" I asked. I was quite shocked by how quickly news spread. I just hope I don't get noticed.

"The news of a foreign exchange student spread like wildfire! Usually, when someone comes from a different country, we're always excited! In fact, we all fight over for attention from the new student!" Elizaveta beamed with joy while she spoke. I could feel my cheeks growing warm at the thought of attention.

"Elizaveta! Where were you?"

Three girls ran towards Elizaveta. One had short, wavy blonde hair with bright emerald eyes. Another one had bronze-tanned skin with dark brown hair tied into low pigtails. The other one had a large pink plum blossom on her head, with a curl touching her forehead. She had round chocolate eyes and wavy chestnut hair.

"Oh, just talking to the new student." Elizaveta pointed at me. I waved shyly Elizaveta's friends, which they returned with bright smiles. The one with the curl stuck out especially. She seems quite familiar…

Wait! Chestnut hair? Round chocolate hair? Pink plum blossom? No doubt this is Mei Wang! Yes, this is splendid! I've met my current target today and the target's clique.

"New student? 你好，我叫王美，認識你很高興 (Hello, I'm Mei. Pleased to meet you!)" 'Mei' bowed slightly at me, which I did so in return. I'm surprised this midget knew about me.

"I'm Michelle Mancham," the girl with pigtails said. "Nice to meet you!"

"And I'm Bella Maes!" the wavy blonde hair one greeted.

"Hello, I'm Xie, as most of you already know." I introduced myself. I stuck out my hand to shake hands with them.

After brief greetings, Elizaveta asked, "Hey, Xie. Would you like to come with us to Starbucks? Then we can go to Forever 21 and shop! After all, today's Friday!"

"Err...umm..." The thought of going to Forever 21 sickened me a little. However, I knew I could refuse no offer to get closer to my target.

"Why not?"

"Hey! What do you think of this shirt?" Elizaveta picked out a floral printed cropped top and held it up at me.

Cropped tops weren't my style. I feel like a prostitute wearing these outfits. "I like the baseball tee." There was a black and gray one. Mm, my style.

Elizaveta looked at me strangely. "You're strange, Xie. Why not go for something more fashionable?" She continued looking further back into another rack, searching for shirt with her size.

Mei walked over, carrying a pair of short shorts and two sleeveless shirts with her. "Hey Mei! Did you find anything you like?"

Elizaveta selected an opaque black kimono from a rack below her. "Hmm…I'm thinking this is a nice one." She continued browsing around, eager to try on more clothes.

"You?" Mei's attention shifted to me. I pointed at the black and gray baseball tee, which Elizaveta shook her head in reply.

Clucking her tongue, Mei grabbed my arm and dragged me around the store, her eyes scanning around like an alert cat. Nervously, I sputtered, "U-um…Mei? Where are you taking me?"

"To Bella and Michelle! They're currently browsing around for t-shirts, so if you're interested in it, you should go ask them!" Mei exclaimed excitedly. She halted into a stop as soon as she saw them.

Bella looked up. "Oh hi Xie!" Then Bella looked at Hungary, who had a smirk on her face. "What's wrong?"

"Well, it seems that Xie wants to get a baseball tee here, but of course, I didn't agree to that. You can get that baseball tee at an even cheaper price. Like, Shilin Night Market. Anyway, please help Liên find a decent t-shirt. We aren't leaving until she at least buys something." Mei dashed off to unite with Hungary.

"Well, hi," I said shyly.

"Hmm…" Michelle thought. She looked around the aisles of t-shirts until she picked out a white cropped top, piling along with a couple more that she thought would be my 'style'.

"Alright, let's go to the fitting room with Elizaveta and the others!" Bella exclaimed happily. She took out her phone and texted them with flying fingers.


	6. Chapter 6

**_CIA Tip#6: Be aware of your surroundings and your current task. It may give you some hints._**

I entered into the fitting room with Elizaveta, Mei, Michelle, and Bella, who were about to try on their outfits. Michelle handed me a large pile of clothes, full of cropped tops, shorts, and cardigans. How am I supposed to wear all this?

"Here, just mix and match these clothes." Mei said. "Can't wait to see yours!" I smiled shyly in reply.

We each occupied our own rooms, trying out different styles and outfits. I was embarrassed to come out in a cropped top and short. They all laughed at me as I attempted to cover myself. Gosh, who wears cropped tops or sleeveless shirts with super large holes?

I finally settled with a navy blue cardigan and the baseball tee (much to Mei's disappointment), a pale lilac classic scarf for my housekeeper, and a cosmetic bag for my mother.

"Ah! I'm so happy I got this cosmetic bag!" Michelle exclaimed. "It's so cute with all the little puppies!"

"Do you guys want to sit down or something? I'm a bit tired from trying out and walking around," Bella said. She glanced at her black watch. "Oh, it's almost five. Want to go out for dinner?"

Elizaveta and Mei shook her head. "Spent too much money already. I'll cook tonight!" Mei offered.

"Xie, want to come over?" Elizaveta asked. "Mei is an awesome cook!"

"No. Besides, I have some work to do. But thank you for the offer though," I answered, forcing a smile at that tiny Taiwanese girl.

"No problem!" Mei exclaimed. "By the way, let's exchange phone numbers in case if we want another outing!" Bella nodded at Mei's concept and reached into her bag for her phone.

"Alright, see you guys on Monday! Bye!" I waved at them, eager to enjoy my own little world.

I walked out of the mall, and into the early spring cold, the harsh air slapping on my cheeks. Right now, I was near NYU. I needed to take a subway to Grand Central 26th to return home.

On my right, there was a stairway that led to the subway. While walking down, I fumbled for my Metro card in my wallet.

A crowd of people stood near the machine, placing their card on the bright white screen. The white subway rushed into the station, the doors releasing a large crowd of young students. Most of them were either on their phones or chattering away with their friends.

I walked inside after scanning my card. The subway was clean and brightly lit, with only a few people sitting inside. I took a seat near the window, in hopes of no one sitting next to me. New York's subways were okay, but compared to the ones I've seen in Asia and Europe, New York's subway looks like trash.

Bored, I took out Nokia Lumia that I often used for my work (except for calling and texting in foreign countries) to see my plan as soon as I got home. Hmm…so I would do my homework and then try to keep in touch with Mei via whatever social network she had. Then, Amelia would come home from work and then we would eat and that's it for the day. Despite my book's promising description of New York, this wasn't what I expected. Or perhaps it's because I'm here for work.

Suddenly, while checking my planner, my other cell phone vibrated violently in my jacket. I fished out my phone, only to receive a text from Mei: _Wanna come to my apartment tomorrow? I live at Paycee Apartment on eighth street, near NYU. _

I didn't have anything else to do tomorrow. Why not? I texted back quickly, _Sure, count me in._ A smiley face appeared in return.

When the subway arrived at Midtown, there were only three or four people waiting. A man about five feet and seven inches walked in. He sat in the far corner of the subway, almost about six feet away from me. His phone rang and he immediately answered quietly, speaking Cantonese rapidly. While Ba incorporated Chinese, English, French, and Vietnamese as primary languages for my job, he also made sure I learned basic Cantonese. One of the biggest headquarters of the Chinese mafia was in Hong Kong and Macau.

I pretended to be scrolling through my phone so that the man wouldn't suspect me as an eavesdropper. My ears perked slightly, attempting to listen to the conversation.

"I understand _dai-lo_," he whispered. "I will treat Enrico like a family member. I know New York pretty well, so I should be able to navigate around. I know that Enrico has a friend who opened a Chinese restaurant, and I'm sure he would like to meet him as soon as possible."

A pause followed after the man spoke. "Yes, I understand. Anyway, I have to get off now. Bye." The man hung up and walked out as soon as the subway paused at 78th street. He turned to the left and sauntered up the stairs.

I continued to ride in silence, aware that the Chinese mafia was near me. I need to b


	7. Chapter 7

**_CIA Tip#7: The night is always the best time to do your research._**

"Hey Liên, you okay?" Amelia asked. She tilted her head down to catch my glance.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. I'm just worried about something," I answered quietly, while twirling the pasta into my fork.

Amelia looked at me quizzically. "Is it the Chinese mafia?" she asked quietly. She spooned some mixed vegetables into her mouth, staring at me with her stuffed cheeks.

I remained quiet. I didn't want to burden Amelia too much about the Chinese mafia, but at the same time, I knew that I couldn't capture the mafia alone. "I'm not sure, but today while riding the subway, I saw a man speaking Cantonese and calling someone dai-lo. Not only that, he mentioned Enrico!."

The American lady's eyes widened immediately. "Are you sure Liên? Enrico's here in New York? Do they know that you're here?"

I shrugged. "Unless if they planted in me some transmitter, then yes. Otherwise, no. Wait, but aren't they supposed to be in Las Vegas?" What if they…knew that I'm in New York? I immediately broke into a cold sweat.

Amelia tapped her index finger rapidly on the dinner table, her eyebrows creased into a serious expression. "Liên, where did you see him get off?"

"77th street."

"We're going there tonight to see if what you see is true. Don't forget to bring the phone you use for missions," Amelia said.

"Next stop is 77th street. 77th street," the speakers announced.

A wave of crowd entered into the subway. Amelia gripped tightly onto my wrist while we squeezed our way through the crowd.

I lead Amelia to the left, at the same time fumbling for my Metro card. I carefully placed my Metro card on the shiny metal machine. A beep followed from the machine.

The street was brightly lit with warm colored lights. Stores gave off a bright ivory glow, luring girls to buy more clothing. A group of young men were screaming and shouting happily while walking past us.

Amelia looked around carefully. "Liên, I don't think there's anything too suspicious." She continued to walk at the same pace like me.

A blue Chevy caught my eye, its white highlights glowing with the yellow street lights. It seemed so familiar….

_Alfred look out!_

The car license number was 989KLP00. Wait! I remember! I saw that on the first day of New York. They could be here somewhere…

The same tall, lanky man I saw on the subway stalked slowly and took a turn. I tapped Amelia on the shoulder. Amelia was looking chatting with a group of native New Yorkers.

"Liên, what's wrong?" Amelia asked. She excused herself from the New Yorkers. I pointed at the turn the lanky man entered.

"Amelia, remember how I saw a possible member from the Chinese mafia? That possible member entered into a turn. Let's go check it out." Amelia nodded and placed a hood over her head. I did the same thing as well. We need to be as careful as possible.

We took the same turn as the lanky man. Immediately, the stench of vomit, urine, and trash mingled together, entering into my nostrils. Amelia leaned over to a corner, retching loudly over the scent. My heart beat quickly at the sound of distant footsteps. Cantonese swear words emerged from nowhere. I rubbed Amelia's back gently, hoping that the footsteps would go away.

The footsteps and Cantonese conversations faded away. I took this as an opportunity to move on. "Amelia, you okay?" Amelia nodded in reply. "Let's go. I know it smell like bull crap but bear with it. Once we're done with this search, we're going home. Okay?"


	8. Chapter 8

**_CIA Tip#8: Always record conversations. You will need it later as evidence._**

Amelia and I slowly crept across the tiny alleys, the scent of vomit and urine mingling in the air. Rats and cockroaches roamed on the dirty ground.

Where was the sound coming earlier? I continued to loom around with Amelia. This wasn't the best idea, as I could become exposed, but this was the only idea I could come up with.

Then, I heard footsteps from the distance. I turned to the right and saw the tall lanky man earlier at the subway. He was walking alone, as if looking for something.

"Amelia, it's him!" I exclaimed silently.

Amelia took out her phone and began to take pictures of him. "Should we interrogate him?" she inquired. She snapped some more pictures of him.

I shook my head. "We should follow him." Luckily, today we were mostly wearing black, so he wouldn't be able to find out our identities.

We continued to follow him, occasionally taking pictures for evidence and further research. Along the way, he lit a cigarette, exhaling the toxic smokes into the night. Nothing unusual happened; all he seemed to be was a mere member of the triad, trying to survive and earning the leader's favor.

I checked my watch. It was right now 9:30 p.m. From this guy, we couldn't collect any new information. Either he was extremely careful about what to say in public or this guy had a boring life.

His cell phone rang. He picked it up and began to swear in Mandarin. When he stopped talking, I heard a high-pitched voice answering and cussing the heck out of him. Exasperated, the guy hung up, as if already bothered by the person behind the phone.

"Stupid girl. Can't seem to stop asking me for money," he muttered in English with a trace of the famous Brooklyn accent.

I looked at Amelia, who nodded at me in reply. It was time to head back home, as there was new information.

"So far, we have no idea what this guy's name is. For now, let's call him Lanky," Amelia declared. She scrolled through her phone, which revealed an almost full body picture of Lanky.

"He called someone and addressed them as _dai-lo_. This could mean Leon, one of the insane triad leaders who is filthy rich from all the drugs he sells. Not to mention he likes hot girls too, especially the one with fiery tempers." Amelia eyed me with a wide, sneaky grin. I slapped her arm in return.

"Well," I began. "He also happens to know Enrico too, because he's part of Leon's gang. And judging from his Brooklyn accent, he is also a New Yorker, which is why Leon wanted him to show Enrico around while he's in New York. But there's one thing that bothers me." I paused for a moment.

"Why is he in New York instead of Las Vegas? Gambling in New York is illegal, but in Las Vegas, it's legal so long as you're eighteen or over," Amelia pointed out. She totally nailed my point.

"Either he's here for vacation or for some serious business. Or…he totally saw the CIA's plan." I slammed my hand hard against the table.

"Dang it! I didn't even see this! How can I be so stupid and let them go!" I yelled aloud. "At this rate the triads will be more powerful!"

Amelia grabbed both of my shoulders as I swore Vietnamese. "Liên! Just calm down! You're here in New York to spy on Mei Wang, not get involved with some triad member! Even if she is part of the triad, it doesn't matter. You need to find out about Mei Wang."

I sat down. I licked the roof of my mouth. It tasted sickening. "Okay, you're right Amelia. I really need to work on Mei Wang, not the triads. I will do my best."

"Brofist?" Amelia sheepishly asked.

I didn't even hesitate for this invitation.


End file.
